Pensive

Rooted in the California pop-punk scene that spawned Green Day, blink-182, and the Offspring, Pensive brings a new note to the power pop chord with the release of a new EP, Something About the Stars. Showcasing the fast, edgy, three-chord melodies that have made Pensive a favorite in their hometown San Diego scene, this new release promises to thrust the band into the national limelight. As with all good bands, Pensive was born in a garage. Sitting in the audience of their high school's Battle of the Bands in May 2000, founding members Pat Smith and Julio Godoy decided they would rather be on stage than sitting on bleachers. The guys took over Pat's garage that same day, plugging in their little combo amps and cranking them way up. When a Pensive garage session drew their first adoring crowd of 18, there was no turning back. Word of the garage shows spread quickly and the crowds consistently grew larger, but when mosh pits took over the driveway, Pensive knew it was time to take their show to bigger venues where the neighbors are less likely to call the cops. Since then, Pensive has quickly grown into life on the stage, becoming a familiar and welcome name on San Diego local bills with their tight, energetic stage show a consistent draw.

But beyond a hell of a good live show, Pensive has proven that they have what it takes in the studio as well. In 2002 and 2003, the band released two self-produced original CDs: a seven-song EP, Kids These Days, and a single entitled "When the Fire Burns Brightest." The buzz from these releases was strong and attracted widespread attention, garnering Pensive a slot on the nationally distributed punk compilation A Different Shade of Green: A Tribute to Green Day (Skunk Ape Records, July 2003). But even after seeing their name listed alongside such big name artists as Weezer, Pensive strove for something more and headed into the studio with just such thoughts in mind.

It was in the spring of 2003 that Pensive began recording a second EP. For production, they enlisted the aid of Will Salazar, guitarist and front man for bands Fenix TX and Denver Harbor. With Salazar at the boards, Pensive created Something About the Stars, a six-song CD that combines their ever-present melodic hooks, catchy every-kid lyrics, and fast punk edge with a fuller, richer sound than their previous recordings. In the summer of 2003, Pensive previewed all their new songs on the classic MP3.com, but it was "The 3rd of July," a hooky boy-loses-girl heartbreaker that kids could not get out of their heads. The song climbed the MP3.com world wide Pop Punk Chart, quickly finding the #1 slot, where it stayed for 76 days, along the way besting pop-punk powerhouses like Sum 41, Bowling for Soup, and Rufio. As a demonstration of Pensive's cross-over potential, the band ranked on the Top 40 Chart 48 days with "The 3rd of July," at its peak reaching #14.

In early 2004, Pensive caught the attention of Japan's premier punk rock label, Big Mouth Records. A licensing deal was quickly inked, and in April Something About the Stars was released to Japanese fans eager to hear a new American band. With 5,000 units sold and counting, Pensive joins label mates such as Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, and Less Than Jake on the must-have music lists of kids in Japan. The release of "The 3rd of July" by Drive Thru Records on its Spring 2005 compilation Bands You Love, Have Heard Of, and Should Know is taking Pensive not only throughout the U. S. and Japan, but Canada and the United Kingdom as well.

Now, with fans around the world discovering Pensive, the 2005 official U. S. release of Something About the Stars has been kicked off by a national college radio campaign, with hundreds of young DJs spinning their favorite Pensive tunes. An ambitious spring and summer touring schedule is taking the band to most regions of the country to spread the good Pensive word, so check 'em out and you'll agree, it's all good...